SPUTTERED METALLIC GLASS FOR ACCELEROMETERS

THE IMMEDIATE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSED WORK IN PHASE I IS TO SPUTTER DEPOSIT AND TEST SAMPLES OF METALLIC GLASS ON SILICON WAFERS. THE LONG TERM GOAL IS TO FABRICATE LOW COST, MONOLITHIC ACCELEROMETERS WHERE ALL OF THE COMPONENTS ARE INTEGRATED ONTO A SINGLE SILICON WAFER. THE MOST IMPORTANT PHASE I TASK WILL BE TO DEVELOP TECHNIQUES FOR DEPOSITING FILMS WITH BUILT-IN UNIAXIAL ANISOTROPY AND VERY LOW LEVELS OF INTRINSIC STRESS. THEN THE SENSITIVITY OF THESE FILMS (I.E. THE CHANGES IN PERMEABILITY AS A FUNCTION OF APPLIED STRESS) WILL BE MEASURED. A SECOND, LOWER PRIORITY PHASE I TASK WILL BE TO STUDY WAYS OF ELIMINATING THE USE OF DISCRETE SENSING COILS IN FAVOR OF A TRULY MONOLITHIC CONSTRUCTION.